


Second Chance

by Burgie



Series: Katja Joins Team Good AU [8]
Category: Star Stable
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:10:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7664506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katja gets her second chance at being a mum</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Chance

“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor with all that pacing,” said Katja. “Just relax, will you?”

“I can’t,” said Alex, coming back to Katja’s side again and laying a hand on her forehead. “You’re sweaty again. I’ll get you another wet towel.”

“No.” Katja grabbed her wrist and laughed, only flinching slightly. “You’re acting like this is a normal birth, which it isn’t. And anyway, you’ll have to leave the room when all the magical stuff happens.”

“Why?” asked Alex. “Wait, what magical stuff?”

“The part where I return to my true form and our daughter is born in her true form,” said Katja. “There’s a lot of magical energy flying around when that happens. Trust me, it’s better for all of us if you leave the room.”

“Can you explain a little more?” asked Alex. “And then I’ll leave, I promise.”

“Alright, fine,” said Katja. “On top of all the blood and stuff, there’s this big surge of magical energy when the birth happens. It’s building up now, I can feel it. That’s why I’ll be moved to the flooded basement soon, so the water can hold all of the magic. And then our daughter will absorb that energy and it’ll be over. And don’t try to look at it with Shadow Sight or you’ll go blind.”

“That sounds very dramatic,” said Alex.

“Oh, you think that’s dramatic?” Katja laughed again. “You should have seen how I had the ocean give me the spell in the first place. Your friend Linda will be able to show you that. Maybe it can distract you.”

“Okay. Wait, will I see myself as I was then?” asked Alex. “That version of myself or whatever.”

“No, not unless you happened to look at your reflection. You’ll just see through your eyes and feel your thoughts.”

“So it’ll be like I’m possessing myself?” asked Alex.

“No,” said Katja, shaking her head. A sudden pain left her gasping and digging her nails into Alex’s wrist.

“Ow. You have claws now,” said Alex.

“Oh, crap. This is happening really quickly,” said Katja. “I have to get to the basement now.” She looked at Alex and then Alex kissed her, tasting salt on her lips.

When Katja disappeared in a bright flash of light, Alex tried not to remember the last time that she’d disappeared like that. But it was so hard. Fortunately, Linda walked into the room.

“I saw a flash,” said Linda. “Is it happening?”

“Yep, it’s happening,” said Alex. “I’m so scared.” She buried her face in her hands.

“Don’t be,” said Linda. “She’s done this before, she knows what she’s doing.”

“Wait, you’ve seen the future, does she make it?” asked Alex.

“Yes,” said Linda. “You’ll find out in about an hour anyway. I also know that I’m supposed to show you something?”

“Yes,” said Alex, remembering. “She wanted you to show me when she asked the ocean for the spell.”

“Okay, I can do that,” said Linda. “You’ll be in your body but only as a spectator. Think of it like hitching a ride on your past self. You’ll be able to see and hear and feel and think whatever your past self is experiencing, but you won’t be able to influence it at all.”

“That sounds cool,” said Alex. “Let’s go.”

“I’m not showing you in here,” said Linda. “Come on, there’s a room near the basement.”

Linda led Alex to a small room in the bunker, one that had only a bed and some chairs in it.

“Why didn’t we have Katja here until she had to be moved?” asked Alex.

“Because that room had more wards,” said Linda. “There wasn’t time to ward this one. Now, sit on a chair and take my hand.” Alex did as she was told, and Linda could feel her hand shaking.

Linda didn’t say anything, though. She just closed her eyes to access her magic, located the memory, and showed it to Alex.

***

Alex was standing on a beach. She felt different. Her clothing was completely unfamiliar, and her hair was tied into a tight braid. She also saw a sword at her side. But when she looked up, she saw the Katja who she knew and loved out in the waves. It felt very strange, but Alex didn’t mind.

Katja was in her true form, just a blur of white in the grey sea. Alex didn’t know why her vision was blurry, until she wiped her eyes and then wiped the dampness on her tunic. But why was she crying?

And then she heard her thoughts, and Alex understood. She’d always wanted kids, but never as badly as this incarnation of herself wanted them. But she wouldn’t lay with a man. She only loved Katja.

Katja’s voice drifted to her faintly over the sound of the waves.

“I know that I’ve turned my back on you. And for that I’m sorry. But please, please just give me this one spell.” There was silence from the ocean. From everyone. Just the sound of the waves.

Alex sat down and hugged her knees to her chest. She silently begged the ocean to give them what they wanted. She buried her head in her knees, her throat tight. Wailing was unbefitting of a warrior. As was sobbing.

She heard footsteps on the sand and looked up. Katja was there, smiling at her.

“Did it work?” asked Alex.

“Come with me,” said Katja. She pulled Alex to her feet and wiped the tears from her eyes. Then, they waded back out into the ocean, and Alex didn’t even mind the water soaking into her clothes.

“What’s going on?” asked Alex.

“The ocean wants to know you,” said Katja. “Just stay still.”

“Why?” asked Alex, and then a tendril of something brushed her leg. She fought the urge to kick it away, remembering what Katja had said. Instead, she submitted to the ocean’s probings.

And then Katja grinned, hearing something that Alex either couldn’t hear or couldn’t understand.

“You can go back to land now,” said Katja. “I’ll be with you shortly.”

As Alex walked back to the beach, she wondered why her past self was speaking like she was from her own time. She resolved to ask Linda about that later.

She reached the spot where she’d been before and turned back around, looking out to the ocean once more. She saw runes of power surrounding Katja, and activated Shadow Sight. Now she could see the sheer amount of magic in the ocean. It was almost blinding. She blinked away Shadow Sight in time to see Katja walking out of the ocean. She looked radiant.

“Well? Did it work?” asked Alex. Katja just wrapped her arms around her and kissed her, humming. Alex felt a strange tugging sensation in her stomach, and recognised it although her past self didn’t. Hearing the song completed was the best thing that Alex had ever heard.

“Yes,” said Katja, pulling away as the song ended. “I am now carrying your child.” Alex was familiar with the rush of happiness and affection and all good feelings that her past self was currently experiencing. Just as she was glad to pull Katja into her arms and spin her around, laughing and grinning.

***

Alex was still grinning as she came out of the memory. The lights flickered, but she barely noticed.

“Do you still love her that much?” asked Linda.

“Yes,” said Alex. “Wait, you were there?”

“No, but I’ve seen that memory before,” said Linda. “I wonder if the ocean forgives Katja for what she did.”

“I hope so,” said Alex. “Also, why wasn’t my past self talking like people talked back then?”

“It’s the nature of the visions,” said Linda. “It’s to make it easier for whoever’s seeing them to understand them. It’d be a pretty crappy power if we couldn’t use the information we learned from it.”

“That makes sense,” said Alex. “Is it over yet?”

The answer came from within.

 _“Yes,”_ said Katja. Even her mental voice was weak.

Alex got up and ran for the flooded basement. The water that swirled around her ankles when she stepped in onto the top step was tinged pink.

“Katja?” she called. The water rippled in the middle and then Katja appeared, holding something tightly in her arms. Her hair was slightly pink, but her tail emerged as she swam over to the stairs and it was still a perfect white.

“You can hold your daughter, I need to become human again,” said Katja. She handed over her daughter, and then something smooth and white. “Take this too. She’s a selkie so she’ll need that to return to the sea.”

“Okay,” said Alex. She couldn’t take her eyes off her daughter. Her hair looked like it was a strawberry blonde colour, though that could have been because of the blood. “Is she supposed to be sleeping?”

Katja hauled herself onto the top step, wincing.

“Yes,” said Katja. “She just absorbed a lot of magical energy so she’ll sleep for a while. And then when she wakes up she’ll cry like any newborn.”

“Do you need anything?” asked Alex.

“You and her, a healer, and a shower,” said Katja. “And somewhere warded.”

“In that order?” asked Alex.

“Yes,” said Katja. Her tail became legs again and she stood, then leaned heavily on the wall. “Ow, this really hurts.” Now Alex could see that she was crying. She probably hadn’t stopped. But she was finally smiling.

Alex took Katja to their bedroom, the most heavily-warded room in the bunker. She left Katja only for a moment to get Lisa, and then returned to see Katja still cradling her baby and crying. She hadn’t stopped smiling, either. Especially now that she was in this room.

“Have you decided on a name yet?” asked Lisa.

“No,” said Katja. Alex wrapped her arm around Katja’s shoulders and laid next to her on the bed. “I didn’t know if I’d even get the chance to…”

“But you are now,” said Alex. “You both survived. And this time, you have a warded room to protect you.”

“I know,” said Katja. She closed her eyes. She looked so pale.

“You don’t have to think of a name now,” said Alex. “Just rest.”

“No, I want to,” said Katja. She opened her eyes just enough to look at Alex. “Morgan.”

Lisa snorted, so Katja kicked weakly at her.

“Alright, I’m going,” said Lisa. “You’re healed, just rest.”

“She has a point,” said Alex. “Do you really want to name our child after a horse breed?”

“Morgan is a perfectly good name for a girl,” said Katja. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“Mandy,” said Alex. “Morgan can be her middle name, though.”

“Thank you,” said Katja. She leaned her head on Alex’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” said Alex, and kissed her on the cheek. Then they both looked at their daughter. Alex kept looking at her long after Katja had fallen asleep. She smiled. This was what happiness felt like.


End file.
